Jean-Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier returns to Haiti

Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier has made a surprise
return to the country.

10:12AM GMT 17 Jan 2011

Mr Duvalier, 59, arrived on a flight from France, where he has been living in exile. He was ousted from power in 1986 by massive anti-government demonstrations after his family and supporters were accused of plundering tens of millions of pounds of state funds.

Dozens of enthusiastic supporters greeted him at the airport, although the motive for his surprise return to the country, where he still faces corruption charges, was not immediately known.

Haiti is in the midst of a political crisis over the disputed presidential election. “I’ve come to help,” Mr Duvalier told reporters as he waited at the immigration office of Port-au-Prince airport.

Haiti, still the poorest state in the Western Hemisphere, is facing political uncertainty following the problematic Nov 28 first-round presidential election.